Improvement in steering apparatus



s. 6' MARTIN. Steering'Apparatus.

No. 21'6,$73. Patented June 24,1879.

Ill j B v TORNEYS.

N. PErEHS, PHOTO UTHOGRAPRE UNITE STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

SAMUEL G. MARTIN, OF SOUTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEERING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,873, dated June 24, 1879 application filed April 14, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. MARTIN, of South Amboy, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and ImprovedSteering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

to the direction in which the boat is moving.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an inverted plan View,representing the two ends of a ferry-boat fitted with my improvedsteering apparatus. the same partially in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the hull, and B the overhanging guards, of a ferry-boat, or otherdouble-ended vessel, that is fitted at each end with a rudder, 0.

To each rudder is connected a bent arm, a, to which the rudder-chainsare usually connected, and which arm has heretofore been fitted with asocket for a stop-pin, b, that is used to retain the rudder amidshipwhen not m use.

Instead of connecting the rudder-chains to the arms a the said arms areeach formed with an annular socket, c, that receives pin 1), and uponthis socket a chain-wheel, cl, is placed, so as to revolve freelybetween the .arm and the under side of the guard.

Upon each arm a is hung a lever, 6, one end of which is formed with aprojecting lug that enters a recess in the side of the wheel (1 to lockthe arm and wheel together, and the outer end of lever e is weighted tolock the wheel at automatically.

The lever c is in a position where its inner end is pressed down torelieve the wheel by the end of pin b when thelatter is inserted'to holdthe rudder.

The rudder-chains f pass from the cylinders 91 g, which are placed ateach side midway in Fig. 2 is a side view of the length of the vessel,around friction-rollers h, and in contact with the chain-wheels d,forming thus an endless chain.

The chains are connected to the piston-rods, and are moved by steamadmitted to both cylinders at the same time, but at opposite ends.

The operation is follows: With the boat moving in the direction of thearrow, the rudder-pin b at the forward end is inserted, as shown, tohold the rudder and at same time unlock the chain wheel. The pin 1) atthe rear is raised to free the rudder at that end, and permit thelocking of its chain-wheel by lever e. The movement of the rudder-chainswill then act to move the free rudder, but at the forward end the chainswill revolve the unattached chain-wheel upon the socket 0.

By this construction I am enabled to use the same steering mechanism ateither end, as required, and only two steam-cylinders are necessary.

The chain-wheels d should have two or more recesses for the lug of levere, so that in case of misplacement the wheel would be locke by one orthe other.

I do not limit myself to the described means for locking thechain-wheels, as other devices can be used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The chain-wheel d, arranged to revolve between anarm and under side of guard, in combination with a lever, e, hung uponeach arm a, and provided at one end with a projecting lug that enters arecess in side of wheel, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a rudder and arm, a, of the chain-wheel d,locking-lever e, and pin b,snbstantially as described and shown, and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In steering apparatus for double-ended vessels, the combination of anendless rudder-chain, steam cylinders and pistons for moving the chains,and chain-wheels d, attached upon the rudders, and fitted for beinglocked, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

SAMUEL Gr. MARTIN.

